Narrative:

The flight appeared normal until we were approximately 100 NM south of champ on A554. I was paging through the aircraft systems on the ECAM as I frequently do, and noticed that fuel was feeding from the outer tanks rather than from the inner tanks as should have been the case. The total fuel indicated in the outer tanks was approximately 13000 pounds evenly distributed between the right and left sides. I turned off the outer tank pumps on the left side in an attempt to get the inners to feed. The ECAM flow line indicated that the inner tank pumps were not feeding but I did not know whether the ECAM was malfunctioning or something in the fuel system was malfunctioning, so I turned the left inner tank pump isol valve off and shortly thereafter the left engine started to decay. I immediately opened the valve and the engine returned to normal. The first officer could not find any procedure in the QRH or the operating manual converging our situation and as near as I could ascertain at that time, fuel was critical, so I declared an emergency and diverted to the nearest suitable airport. While en route to the diversion airport which was norfolk, I turned on and off again the trim tank switches which were off at the time as they had been placarded inoperative by maintenance prior to our flight. Sometime thereafter, the inner tank pumps started to feed, and then, after having had time to calculate the effect of the 150 KT headwind we were experiencing as we proceeded toward norfolk we elected to change our destination and proceed to jfk. We told ATC that we wanted to change our destination to jfk and they cleared us direct. The balance of the flight was uneventful. After the fact I was criticized for not having turned off the 2 center tank pumps, as that action should have deactivated the automatic fuel feed sequence in the fuel system and if one reads the operating manual one is able to ascertain that this action should work: however there is no procedure in the operating manual or in the QRH covering our specific abnormality and the automatic fuel feed computer is still in the system even with the 2 center tank pumps off. I have recommended to the flight department a new procedure covering the above problem which should be entitled abnormal fuel feed or automatic fuel feed failure. The first step in the procedure will be to pull the automatic fuel feed controller circuit breaker. Pulling this circuit breaker will positively deactivate the automatic feed system and allow one to operate the fuel pumps manually as on any other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AUTO FUEL FEED FAILURE CREATES CONCERN IN WDB FLT CREW AS IMPROPER FUEL SITUATION DEVELOPS AND CREW UNABLE, INITIALLY, TO MANUALLY CORRECT THE FUEL FEED PROBLEM.

Narrative: THE FLT APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL WE WERE APPROX 100 NM S OF CHAMP ON A554. I WAS PAGING THROUGH THE ACFT SYSTEMS ON THE ECAM AS I FREQUENTLY DO, AND NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS FEEDING FROM THE OUTER TANKS RATHER THAN FROM THE INNER TANKS AS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE. THE TOTAL FUEL INDICATED IN THE OUTER TANKS WAS APPROX 13000 LBS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED BTWN THE R AND L SIDES. I TURNED OFF THE OUTER TANK PUMPS ON THE L SIDE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE INNERS TO FEED. THE ECAM FLOW LINE INDICATED THAT THE INNER TANK PUMPS WERE NOT FEEDING BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE ECAM WAS MALFUNCTIONING OR SOMETHING IN THE FUEL SYS WAS MALFUNCTIONING, SO I TURNED THE L INNER TANK PUMP ISOL VALVE OFF AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE L ENG STARTED TO DECAY. I IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE VALVE AND THE ENG RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE F/O COULD NOT FIND ANY PROC IN THE QRH OR THE OPERATING MANUAL CONVERGING OUR SITUATION AND AS NEAR AS I COULD ASCERTAIN AT THAT TIME, FUEL WAS CRITICAL, SO I DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. WHILE ENRTE TO THE DIVERSION ARPT WHICH WAS NORFOLK, I TURNED ON AND OFF AGAIN THE TRIM TANK SWITCHES WHICH WERE OFF AT THE TIME AS THEY HAD BEEN PLACARDED INOPERATIVE BY MAINT PRIOR TO OUR FLT. SOMETIME THEREAFTER, THE INNER TANK PUMPS STARTED TO FEED, AND THEN, AFTER HAVING HAD TIME TO CALCULATE THE EFFECT OF THE 150 KT HEADWIND WE WERE EXPERIENCING AS WE PROCEEDED TOWARD NORFOLK WE ELECTED TO CHANGE OUR DEST AND PROCEED TO JFK. WE TOLD ATC THAT WE WANTED TO CHANGE OUR DEST TO JFK AND THEY CLRED US DIRECT. THE BALANCE OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE FACT I WAS CRITICIZED FOR NOT HAVING TURNED OFF THE 2 CTR TANK PUMPS, AS THAT ACTION SHOULD HAVE DEACTIVATED THE AUTOMATIC FUEL FEED SEQUENCE IN THE FUEL SYS AND IF ONE READS THE OPERATING MANUAL ONE IS ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT THIS ACTION SHOULD WORK: HOWEVER THERE IS NO PROC IN THE OPERATING MANUAL OR IN THE QRH COVERING OUR SPECIFIC ABNORMALITY AND THE AUTO FUEL FEED COMPUTER IS STILL IN THE SYS EVEN WITH THE 2 CTR TANK PUMPS OFF. I HAVE RECOMMENDED TO THE FLT DEPT A NEW PROC COVERING THE ABOVE PROB WHICH SHOULD BE ENTITLED ABNORMAL FUEL FEED OR AUTO FUEL FEED FAILURE. THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROC WILL BE TO PULL THE AUTO FUEL FEED CTLR CB. PULLING THIS CB WILL POSITIVELY DEACTIVATE THE AUTO FEED SYS AND ALLOW ONE TO OPERATE THE FUEL PUMPS MANUALLY AS ON ANY OTHER ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.